Drums and stuff

Didn't know you play drums Marv. Thats cool. Canopus makes great drums, enjoy it

Theres a reason Brian Blade plays em' Hes so f'ing cool (and talented). I actually would prefer a Canopus, than a Craviotto if I was going for a boutique drum company. They just sound great.

 

For sure man, everything you said is absolutely true. Hell, I started with just a snare a drum for a couple years (and a practice pad) learning rudiments and technique. I only got my first kit when I was 13, which I saved my ass off for.

Electronic drums have made huge strides over the past 20 years, but even the top of the line ones still leave some feel and overall playability on the table. They also cost a metric f**k ton at the top end.

I've got an older DW exotic kit I bought in my teens, and bought a Pearl Masterworks used about 6 years ago. Funnily enough, I've spent most of my time in the last few years playing a Tama Metro Jam in 16", 13" 10", with a 14" snare. Its a lot of fun to play. It was like 650CAD for the kick and toms. Good deal imo.

 

Zildjian A Custom or Sabian AAX can get through any gig except jazz. But jazz cymbals are the most pricy (Zlidijian K or Sabian H). Although my ride is a standard K Medium ride. If she wants to sound like John Bonham, Paiste, but those will cut and bright and brash as crap.

For snares, a good DW 14x5.5" 10 and 6 snare is also about all you need - I got compliments on my snare almost every time I played with that one. Costly, but SO worth it. They will last forever and there is no other snare that sounds like it. Although my other favorite is a Ludwig 14x5.5 Supraphonic chrome over aluminum. It is just the classic snare sound from 60's and 70's and such a unique sound that is familiar right away. It should be common knowledge, but John Bonham's snare was a 14x6.5 Supraphonic with 42-strand snare wire. Yes, he played the plexi kit, but for recordings was most always that Supraphonic.

And lastly, I tried almost every kick drum head out there. Evans, Remo, you name it, I likely tried it. Some were good, some were okay, and one day I asked the guy at the drum store here in Nashville (yes, we have a whole store just dedicated to drums, because this is Music City, and they have a whole snare room...but..) and I am asking about kick drum heads and going back and forth about this one and that one, and the guy says to me, "Look, you want a really good kick drum head? Like really good?" and I was like "Okay," And he was like, "Just trust me, you want this one." And pulls out a Aquarian Superkick II. I was like, "Aquarian?" and he was like, "You have to trust me. Just return it if you don't like it and we'll get you another one." It is still the drumhead on my kick today. So big, quick, focused, it sounds like a freakin' kick drum! And it lasted for damn near ever. The damping is built in, but I always put a small, like super small pillow in the bottom, and it is really not even needed. just to keep it tight. And the more drummers I talked to, they all say the same thing...once they tried one, that was it.

And go with whatever drum heads you want. Nothing wrong with Remo Ambassadors or Emperors. I mostly played Emperors because I wanted a deeper sound. Evans were too crisp for me. Aquarian tom heads are almost too dark. I even used coated Emperors on my snare because it cut down on ringing and I play super hard.

So many YouTube videos these days with samples that I never had. I just spent way too much time in the music store playing everything.

And yes, cymbals are the worst with electronic drums. You can also get the Quiet Zone or cymbals with all the holes cut in them of you want the real feel.

 

Paiste has more nickel content making them have more top end shimmer. Sabian is almost as loud. Zildjian A Custom has cut and not quite as loud. A series if you want more classic rock sound.

 

The TOTL roland e-kit is like $10,000CAD in its base form in Canada. Expansion elements are even more. Very good for e-drums, but still lots of coin. I've never been able to justify it in my mind, when for the same money you could get the absolute best of the best of acoustic drums, new too, not used.

I really like some of the Paiste cymbals, and some of their stuff is less bright nowadays. The 602 Modern Essentials are great all rounders, and Signature Traditionals are neat (22" light ride in particular,) good for jazz whilst retaining a bit shimmer in the top end. The 2002 Big Beats line is also warmer and darker compared to the traditional 2002's and the Giant Beats.

This RUDE ride from Paiste always makes me laugh.

 

One thing that is really neat is there is a resurgence in independent cymbals smiths nowadays. Its a train that is still gathering steam, but there are some that stand out. Spizzichinos used to be the main go to, until he sadly died of cancer. I remember having the option to buy a 22" spizzichino about 15 years ago, for $500 dollars Canadian. but I passed on it as I couldn't afford it. The same cymbal would sell for 2700-3000USD nowadays.

If I was to start my cymbal collection over nowadays, I'd probably buy from Craig Lauritsen, Timothy Roberts, Borba Cymbals or similar.

https://www.youtube.com/c/CraigLauritsen/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXzIQRAiEnG_kWZ2iMSwGkA/videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCirzbyZIKVW5EhsduOG5Rxw/videos

 

A funny drum-related sideline.

This is a drum that Mick Fleetwood bought in 1983 and never picked up from the store in Taos where it sits in the back room:



It's a massive cottonwood tree trunk. Cocaine, rock and roll, and fame make it easy to decide to buy a giant ass drum, but they don't make it any easier to truck it back to LA.

 

E-drums are fun, but always felt more like a video game than an instrument to me. Lots of folks incorporating pads into acoustic set-ups now. A trend that's a decade old now, I guess.

Spizz cymbals helped bring the old K aesthetic back into the mainstream. I really like the K Constantinople, Kerope, and Avedis vintage-y lines, though I'm not up on Zil these days. The trashy Dream cymbals are fun. Istanbul Agop has some rides that wobble like crazy and sound great, though the wobble may have passed as a trend. Jazz has its own aesthetic obviously, though I'd argue the jazz guys helped end the unwieldy 90s/2000s suspended floor toms and long bass drums trend. Tasteful and vintage is back. OCDP with all of their dumb vented snares are, I think, gone, thank gawd.

Way less mark-up in drums, cymbals, and sticks than guitars and accessories in my experience. Way less volume sold though.

 

I got a Sonor Martini set and put Evans Calf tone heads on with Sabian cymbals. The drums are rich and full. The bass drum is only 13 inches so not deep but good tone with the ability to change the tone with pressure on the pedal. I am not playing now but was using it for acoustic, jazz and playing with a cellist. The 12 inch snare was really good. excellent attack and tone.